Jack McGregor “Mack” Davis of the Dream Theater announced this $60,000 project in May of 1924. It would be built to the plans architect George B. Purvis and carry a 25-year lease upon completion. Opened as the Mack Theatre on November 24, 1922 Mack sold off the theater in 1926.
The venue remained the Mack Theatre for a brief transitional period. Prior to the name change, the new operators, Edwin and Evan Halberg, installed a three manual and pedal $25,000 Robert Morton Orchestra Organ was installed with the venue teasing a new name. That year it would be renamed The Olympian.
In 1927, it received a major overhaul and reopening (see ad in photos) and a new Robert Morton pipe organ. That theater was then donated by the Halbergs to the Lutheran church which used the venue and organ through 1957 before replacing it with a new organ in a new location in 1963. The Olympian operated until 1961 when the City closed it for safety issues. DelGuzzi Construction demolished the Olympian in July of 1969.
According to court documents, the Osage Theatre construction project began in August of 1936 and launched January 8, 1937 with “My Man Godfrey” and “Mine with the Iron Door.” Henry Wendt and his wife, Charlene, operated the theater until his death in August of 1960. Charlene Wendt took it over running the same policy for seven years.
Wendt changed to an art policy on April 28, 1967 starting with “A Thousand Clowns” and “Blow-Up” under the name of the Osage Art Theatre. She hired architect James Ham to conduct a major $125,000 renovation the next year with the venue becoming the Kirkwood Cinema. It opened June 28, 1968 with “Bonnie and Clyde.” It would pass from Wendt to Arthur Theatres Enterprises.
Arthur’s Circuit was in deep financial trouble in 1977 when the Granada and Avalon were sold at foreclosure auction. The final four Arthur locations were the Kirkwood, the Fox, the Webster Groves and the 270 Drive-In. After going independent under the original property holder, Mid-America Theatres Circuit took on the Kirkwood in December of 1979. In 1984, it became part of RKO-Mid-America Theatres. December of 1985, AMC got a foothold in St. Louis by purchasing the RKO-Mid-America Theatres.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its portfolio of one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease both venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 closing October 23, 1986. But the Kirkwood was the cinematic renaissance leader opening also on August 29, 1986 continuing to a closure in June of 1989.
It then reopened on September 20, 1991 by Harman Moseley with “Barton Fink.” That ran all the way to October 7, 1999 when the theatre closed for films with “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Tea With Mussolini” splitting with “The Castle.”
According to court documents, the Osage Theatre construction project began in August of 1936 and launched January 8, 1937 with “My Man Godfrey” and “Mine with the Iron Door.” Henry Wendt and his wife, Charlene, operated the theater until his death in August of 1960. Charlene Wendt took it over running the same policy for seven years.
Wendt changed to an art policy on April 28, 1967 starting with “A Thousand Clowns” and “Blow-Up” under the name of the Osage Art Theatre. She hired architect James Ham to conduct a major $125,000 renovation the next year with the venue becoming the Kirkwood Cinema. It opened June 28, 1968 with “Bonnie and Clyde.” It would pass from Wendt to Arthur Theatres Enterprises to Mid-America Theatres to AMC over the next 18 years.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its portfolio of one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease both venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 closing October 23, 1986. But the Kirkwood was the cinematic renaissance leader opening also on August 29, 1986 continuing to a closure in June of 1989.
It then reopened on September 20, 1991 by Harman Moseley with “Barton Fink.” That ran all the way to October 7, 1999 when the theatre closed for films with “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Tea With Mussolini” splitting with “The Castle.”
Longwood Theatre (#1) was located at 9409 South Broadway. The trade press listed it as closed in 1930 unable to make the conversion to sound. It converted to sound on film in 1932. It was taken on by new management on March 17, 1938. They immediately shared plans for a New Longwood Theatre to be built next door at 9415 South Broadway called the New Longwood Theatre.
Longwood Theatre (#2) opened (without “New”) on July 22, 1938 with “Ali Baba Goes to Town” and “Second Honeymoon.” It closed at the end of its 20-year lease with Sal Mineo in “Dino” and Francis, the Talking Mule in “The Haunted House” on November 16, 1958. After an extensive remodeling, it reopened as the Longwood Bowl on June 18, 1960.
The venue was created by the United Mine Workers Local 264 and it opened - according to the trade press and local press as Miners Theatre and is often referred to as Miners' Theatre. The keystone was laid by the St. Louis-based Kirsch Architectural firm on October 12, 1917. The entire structure was known as Miner’s Institute Building, a three-story structure housing the union offices , a community center, a library, a ballroom and the Miners Theatre which had live vaudeville, movies, and union meeting space at the outset.
In fact, the Miners Theatre’s first show on December 28, 1918 featured “The Sheriff” with Fatty Arbuckle, a Mary Pickford film and vaudeville star Lila Lee live. It was advertised as Miners Theatre. Architect Robert Kirsch’s Renaissance-designed the theatre including its tribute to mine workers on its exterior.
In 1929, the “new” Miners Theater grand opening occurred after it wried for sound to remain viable beginning with George Jessel in “Lucky Boy” on March 9, 1929. Mid-America Theatres took on the venue. Coal mining wound down in the 1960s and the board of trustees were notified that the company would be terminated its lease closing up on November 25, 1961.
In February of 1965, the Miners was reopened and “Sound of Music” was a major hit for the new operators in 1967. It appears to have closed September 2, 1968 with “King Kong Escapes” and “Journey to Shiloh.”
Florence Bloomer’s Bloomer Amusement Circuit - B.A.C. Theatres - bought the theatre on December 9, 1969. B.A.C. closed here as Miners (no apostrophe) Theatre on August 28, 1986 with “The Great Mouse Detective” and “Haunted Honeymoon.” It was reopened as a live events venue in 1988 and, after a period of inactivity, it was renovated (completed) and is thriving in the 2020s. It name is Miners Theatre although its Facebook site sometimes calls it Miner’s Theatre. Properly, it should be Miners Theater also known as Miners' Theatre.
The Nakeomi Shopping Center had launched theater-less with Kroger and W.T. Grant as anchors in 1963. In an expansion ten years later, the center added Mid-America’s Nameoki Cinema Twin on Friday July 27th, 1973 with “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” and “Class of ‘44”.
Florence Bloomer’s Bloomer Amusement Circuit - B.A.C. Theatres - of Belleville took on the Nakeomi from Mid-America. On December 18, 1986, Kerasotes took over B.A.C. Theatres including the Alton Cameo, Roxana Cinea, as Eastgate 1-2 in East Alton along with the Nameoki.
Kerasotes sailed along with the Nameoki Cinema twin until 2003 when the center wanted the cinema gone - as in demolished - after its 30-year leasing agreement expired. But there was a disagreement over the building rights so the theater continued short term while things got sorted out. They didn’t get sorted out. Kerasotes finally closed it permanently on October 17, 2004 with “Shark Tale” and “Friday Night Lights” due to “circumstances beyond” its control.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease the venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 with the unfortunately title “The Money Pit.” The arrangement seems to have ended October 23, 1986 with “Legal Eagles.” It became an oriental rug outlet next.
Mid Rivers Mall opened on October 14, 1987 by May Co’s May Centers, the parent company of legendary St. Louis retailer Famous-Barr who anchored there at launch. The project was about six years behind its original, targeted opening date. And General Cinema’s interest in opening a multiplex there dated back to 1982.
The 1,400 seat General Cinema Mid Rivers was announced as a neighbor to the Paddlewheel Express Food Court with two larger, 400-seat auditoria for the major releases. They finally launched in the mall on December 9, 1988. At that point, GCC had St. Louis-area multiplexes in Mid Rivers, the venerable Lindbergh and the Northwest Plazas, and the outlying Jamestown Mall, Chesterfield Mall, and Sunset Hills Plaza. St. Louis would turn out not to be GCC’s Gateway City. Less than a year after its launch in Mid Rivers, Wehrenberg Theatres bought out all 32 GCC screens effective November 1, 1989. This venue was renamed to the Wehrenberg-preferred label of “ciné” becoming the Mid Rivers 6 Ciné.
Th megaplex era took hold in the mid-1990s and dated mutliplexes all over the country were on the bubble. The chain decided to go big closing the Mid Rivers 6 Ciné March 21, 1999 and announcing a revamped 14-screen facility that would launch at year’s end on December 10, 1999 - as the Mid Rivers 14 Ciné.
In November of 2016, Marcus Corp. bought the Wehrenberg locations and it would eventually change the name of this venue to the Mid Rivers Cinema. A major post-COVID pandemic refresh included a bar and one of the Marcus' SuperScreen DLX large premium format auditoriums at its May 7, 2021 reboot after a three-month closure. Marcus' Mid Rivers Cinema was still operating in the 2020s.
The Baden Family Theater launched in 1913. In 1921, it was called the Baden Theatre. The Kaiman Brothers Circuit gave it an interior streamline refresh in 1937. It closed on April 25, 1965 with “So Dear to My Heart” and “The Quick Gun.” It became Towne Hall North, a party rental / banquet space.
Arthur Brothers Enterprises Circuit opened June 11, 1965 with “She.” But 12 years later, Arthur Circuit was in free fall and closed ten theaters late Summer of 1977 in financial reorganization. The Lewis & Clark was one such theater as property owner Civic Center Redevelopment Corp. said that $50,000 in unpaid rent was due on the Lewis & Clark and the Stadium I & II in downtown St. Louis. $200,000 in unpaid rent was found at other properties.
The Lewis & Clark divestiture took place when Civic found an immediate new operator in Mid-America Theatres. The new operator relaunched with a gala reopening on July 17, 1978 playing “Saturday Night Fever.” Mid-America decided not to extend past the 25-year leasing period closing with “Return of the Dragon” and “Game of Death” on August 30, 1980. From a mapping standpoint, the venue was at 9973 Lewis and Clark Blvd.
In 1980, Mid-America Theaters took on the Mann’s Mark Twain Theatre retaining that name. In July 1982, Wehrenberg took on the of Mann’s Mark Twin Cine still under that name until changing the name not long after to the Mark Twain Cine to be consistent with its other venues. It closed as the Mark Twain Cine on September 28, 1986 with “Nothing in Common.”
The Garrick Theater closed with a grindhouse policy playing adult double features from 10:30a to 1a. The final shows on Labor Day 1951 were “Close-Ups of 1951” and “She’s in the Army Now.” To celebrate its 50th anniversary it was bulldozed.
Jack McGregor “Mack” Davis of the Dream Theater announced this $60,000 project in May of 1924. It would be built to the plans architect George B. Purvis and carry a 25-year lease upon completion. Opened as the Mack Theatre on November 24, 1922 Mack sold off the theater in 1926.
The venue remained the Mack Theatre for a brief transitional period. Prior to the name change, the new operators, Edwin and Evan Halberg, installed a three manual and pedal $25,000 Robert Morton Orchestra Organ was installed with the venue teasing a new name. That year it would be renamed The Olympian.
In 1927, it received a major overhaul and reopening (see ad in photos) and a new Robert Morton pipe organ. That theater was then donated by the Halbergs to the Lutheran church which used the venue and organ through 1957 before replacing it with a new organ in a new location in 1963. The Olympian operated until 1961 when the City closed it for safety issues. DelGuzzi Construction demolished the Olympian in July of 1969.
According to court documents, the Osage Theatre construction project began in August of 1936 and launched January 8, 1937 with “My Man Godfrey” and “Mine with the Iron Door.” Henry Wendt and his wife, Charlene, operated the theater until his death in August of 1960. Charlene Wendt took it over running the same policy for seven years.
Wendt changed to an art policy on April 28, 1967 starting with “A Thousand Clowns” and “Blow-Up” under the name of the Osage Art Theatre. She hired architect James Ham to conduct a major $125,000 renovation the next year with the venue becoming the Kirkwood Cinema. It opened June 28, 1968 with “Bonnie and Clyde.” It would pass from Wendt to Arthur Theatres Enterprises.
Arthur’s Circuit was in deep financial trouble in 1977 when the Granada and Avalon were sold at foreclosure auction. The final four Arthur locations were the Kirkwood, the Fox, the Webster Groves and the 270 Drive-In. After going independent under the original property holder, Mid-America Theatres Circuit took on the Kirkwood in December of 1979. In 1984, it became part of RKO-Mid-America Theatres. December of 1985, AMC got a foothold in St. Louis by purchasing the RKO-Mid-America Theatres.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its portfolio of one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease both venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 closing October 23, 1986. But the Kirkwood was the cinematic renaissance leader opening also on August 29, 1986 continuing to a closure in June of 1989.
It then reopened on September 20, 1991 by Harman Moseley with “Barton Fink.” That ran all the way to October 7, 1999 when the theatre closed for films with “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Tea With Mussolini” splitting with “The Castle.”
According to court documents, the Osage Theatre construction project began in August of 1936 and launched January 8, 1937 with “My Man Godfrey” and “Mine with the Iron Door.” Henry Wendt and his wife, Charlene, operated the theater until his death in August of 1960. Charlene Wendt took it over running the same policy for seven years.
Wendt changed to an art policy on April 28, 1967 starting with “A Thousand Clowns” and “Blow-Up” under the name of the Osage Art Theatre. She hired architect James Ham to conduct a major $125,000 renovation the next year with the venue becoming the Kirkwood Cinema. It opened June 28, 1968 with “Bonnie and Clyde.” It would pass from Wendt to Arthur Theatres Enterprises to Mid-America Theatres to AMC over the next 18 years.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its portfolio of one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease both venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 closing October 23, 1986. But the Kirkwood was the cinematic renaissance leader opening also on August 29, 1986 continuing to a closure in June of 1989.
It then reopened on September 20, 1991 by Harman Moseley with “Barton Fink.” That ran all the way to October 7, 1999 when the theatre closed for films with “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Tea With Mussolini” splitting with “The Castle.”
The Crystal Theatre opened in the I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Lodge building on November 7, 1904.
The Lincoln launched Sept. 4, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “The Foundling.”
The Elwha Theatre has its Grand Opening June 9, 1931 opening with “Cracked Nuts”
Longwood Theatre (#1) was located at 9409 South Broadway. The trade press listed it as closed in 1930 unable to make the conversion to sound. It converted to sound on film in 1932. It was taken on by new management on March 17, 1938. They immediately shared plans for a New Longwood Theatre to be built next door at 9415 South Broadway called the New Longwood Theatre.
Longwood Theatre (#2) opened (without “New”) on July 22, 1938 with “Ali Baba Goes to Town” and “Second Honeymoon.” It closed at the end of its 20-year lease with Sal Mineo in “Dino” and Francis, the Talking Mule in “The Haunted House” on November 16, 1958. After an extensive remodeling, it reopened as the Longwood Bowl on June 18, 1960.
The venue was created by the United Mine Workers Local 264 and it opened - according to the trade press and local press as Miners Theatre and is often referred to as Miners' Theatre. The keystone was laid by the St. Louis-based Kirsch Architectural firm on October 12, 1917. The entire structure was known as Miner’s Institute Building, a three-story structure housing the union offices , a community center, a library, a ballroom and the Miners Theatre which had live vaudeville, movies, and union meeting space at the outset.
In fact, the Miners Theatre’s first show on December 28, 1918 featured “The Sheriff” with Fatty Arbuckle, a Mary Pickford film and vaudeville star Lila Lee live. It was advertised as Miners Theatre. Architect Robert Kirsch’s Renaissance-designed the theatre including its tribute to mine workers on its exterior.
In 1929, the “new” Miners Theater grand opening occurred after it wried for sound to remain viable beginning with George Jessel in “Lucky Boy” on March 9, 1929. Mid-America Theatres took on the venue. Coal mining wound down in the 1960s and the board of trustees were notified that the company would be terminated its lease closing up on November 25, 1961.
In February of 1965, the Miners was reopened and “Sound of Music” was a major hit for the new operators in 1967. It appears to have closed September 2, 1968 with “King Kong Escapes” and “Journey to Shiloh.”
Florence Bloomer’s Bloomer Amusement Circuit - B.A.C. Theatres - bought the theatre on December 9, 1969. B.A.C. closed here as Miners (no apostrophe) Theatre on August 28, 1986 with “The Great Mouse Detective” and “Haunted Honeymoon.” It was reopened as a live events venue in 1988 and, after a period of inactivity, it was renovated (completed) and is thriving in the 2020s. It name is Miners Theatre although its Facebook site sometimes calls it Miner’s Theatre. Properly, it should be Miners Theater also known as Miners' Theatre.
The Nakeomi Shopping Center had launched theater-less with Kroger and W.T. Grant as anchors in 1963. In an expansion ten years later, the center added Mid-America’s Nameoki Cinema Twin on Friday July 27th, 1973 with “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” and “Class of ‘44”.
Florence Bloomer’s Bloomer Amusement Circuit - B.A.C. Theatres - of Belleville took on the Nakeomi from Mid-America. On December 18, 1986, Kerasotes took over B.A.C. Theatres including the Alton Cameo, Roxana Cinea, as Eastgate 1-2 in East Alton along with the Nameoki.
Kerasotes sailed along with the Nameoki Cinema twin until 2003 when the center wanted the cinema gone - as in demolished - after its 30-year leasing agreement expired. But there was a disagreement over the building rights so the theater continued short term while things got sorted out. They didn’t get sorted out. Kerasotes finally closed it permanently on October 17, 2004 with “Shark Tale” and “Friday Night Lights” due to “circumstances beyond” its control.
Mid-America Theatres closed here on December 4, 1980 with “Smokey & the Bandit II” and, appropriately enough, “Fade to Black.”
Closed October 29, 1987 taking a lease opt out with “Prince of Darkness” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
AMC closed the Cave Springs on Nov. 25, 1986 with “The Eye of the Tiger” and “The Wraith.” It opened the AMC Regency 8 to replace the Cave Springs.
Closed on January 1, 1988 with “Hiding Out.”
The Michigan Theatre appears to have closed after September 9, 1961 marathon of cartoons in a “Back to School” special event screening.
The Barracks Theatre opened at the Jefferson Barracks on January 2, 1947 with “Variety Girl” and “West of the Pecos” supported by a cartoon.
The Brentwood and Kirkwood theaters both closed July 31, 1986 as AMC was reducing its one screen locations. Lemay Theater operators Marty Tribl and Mark Friedrich were approached by AMC to sublease the venues until they were either sold or demolished (or both). They agreed. The Brentwood relaunched August 29, 1986 with the unfortunately title “The Money Pit.” The arrangement seems to have ended October 23, 1986 with “Legal Eagles.” It became an oriental rug outlet next.
The AMC South City closed as a sub-run, discount $1 theatre with “The Naked Gun” and “Accidental Tourist” splitting with “Tap” on March 30, 1989.
Closed April 28, 1988 with “Switching Channels” with “Prince of Darkness” splitting a screen with “The Serpent & the Rainbow.”
Mid Rivers Mall opened on October 14, 1987 by May Co’s May Centers, the parent company of legendary St. Louis retailer Famous-Barr who anchored there at launch. The project was about six years behind its original, targeted opening date. And General Cinema’s interest in opening a multiplex there dated back to 1982.
The 1,400 seat General Cinema Mid Rivers was announced as a neighbor to the Paddlewheel Express Food Court with two larger, 400-seat auditoria for the major releases. They finally launched in the mall on December 9, 1988. At that point, GCC had St. Louis-area multiplexes in Mid Rivers, the venerable Lindbergh and the Northwest Plazas, and the outlying Jamestown Mall, Chesterfield Mall, and Sunset Hills Plaza. St. Louis would turn out not to be GCC’s Gateway City. Less than a year after its launch in Mid Rivers, Wehrenberg Theatres bought out all 32 GCC screens effective November 1, 1989. This venue was renamed to the Wehrenberg-preferred label of “ciné” becoming the Mid Rivers 6 Ciné.
Th megaplex era took hold in the mid-1990s and dated mutliplexes all over the country were on the bubble. The chain decided to go big closing the Mid Rivers 6 Ciné March 21, 1999 and announcing a revamped 14-screen facility that would launch at year’s end on December 10, 1999 - as the Mid Rivers 14 Ciné.
In November of 2016, Marcus Corp. bought the Wehrenberg locations and it would eventually change the name of this venue to the Mid Rivers Cinema. A major post-COVID pandemic refresh included a bar and one of the Marcus' SuperScreen DLX large premium format auditoriums at its May 7, 2021 reboot after a three-month closure. Marcus' Mid Rivers Cinema was still operating in the 2020s.
The Baden Family Theater launched in 1913. In 1921, it was called the Baden Theatre. The Kaiman Brothers Circuit gave it an interior streamline refresh in 1937. It closed on April 25, 1965 with “So Dear to My Heart” and “The Quick Gun.” It became Towne Hall North, a party rental / banquet space.
Arthur Brothers Enterprises Circuit opened June 11, 1965 with “She.” But 12 years later, Arthur Circuit was in free fall and closed ten theaters late Summer of 1977 in financial reorganization. The Lewis & Clark was one such theater as property owner Civic Center Redevelopment Corp. said that $50,000 in unpaid rent was due on the Lewis & Clark and the Stadium I & II in downtown St. Louis. $200,000 in unpaid rent was found at other properties.
The Lewis & Clark divestiture took place when Civic found an immediate new operator in Mid-America Theatres. The new operator relaunched with a gala reopening on July 17, 1978 playing “Saturday Night Fever.” Mid-America decided not to extend past the 25-year leasing period closing with “Return of the Dragon” and “Game of Death” on August 30, 1980. From a mapping standpoint, the venue was at 9973 Lewis and Clark Blvd.
In 1980, Mid-America Theaters took on the Mann’s Mark Twain Theatre retaining that name. In July 1982, Wehrenberg took on the of Mann’s Mark Twin Cine still under that name until changing the name not long after to the Mark Twain Cine to be consistent with its other venues. It closed as the Mark Twain Cine on September 28, 1986 with “Nothing in Common.”
The Cypress Village Twin closed permanently on January 29, 1987 with “Lady and the Tramp”. and “The Color of Money.”
Henry Wald’s son, Danny, ended the World on March 3, 1974 with “The Great Massage Parlor Bust.” Within two months, the venue was gone without a trace.
The Garrick Theater closed with a grindhouse policy playing adult double features from 10:30a to 1a. The final shows on Labor Day 1951 were “Close-Ups of 1951” and “She’s in the Army Now.” To celebrate its 50th anniversary it was bulldozed.